EXCLUSIVE: Ariana Godoy Follow my voice (Follow my voice) debuts on Prime Video January 2, 2026, as web novel adaptations continue to define streamers' strategies in the youth space.
The film, which will be released in 240 countries around the world, is based on Godoy's Wattpad web novel of the same name and produced by Sigue y No Pares AIE, Zeta Cinema, Beta Fiction Spain and Webtoon production.
The launch comes during a boom in web novels, with series like Prime Video Guilty the films became major hits after debuting on the social storytelling service Wattpad. Web novel authors have become what Webtoon Productions global film head Jason Goldberg calls “unique voices that don't listen to the traditional demands of Hollywood, CAA or HarperCollins,” enticing even wary buyers with their huge readerships and the wealth of data associated with their work.
Follow my voice follows Clara (Berta Castagne), who, after a health crisis that has kept her at home for 76 days straight, does nothing but listen to her favorite radio program. Follow my voice. She begins to wonder if it's possible to fall in love with someone she's only heard on the radio, and if she feels something for Kang (Jae Woo Yang), a radio host whose voice she's only heard once.
Ines Pintor and Pablo Sandrian (The time it takes) – screenwriters and directors, as well as stars of Castagne (Graduation Tour: Mallorca) and former Spanish footballer Young, Claudia Traisac (Unauthorized life), Nuno Gallego (Olympus) and Fernando Guallar (Red Queen). Antonio Asensio and Paloma Molina are producing for Zeta Studios, while Mercedes Gamero and Pablo Nogueroles are producing for Beta Fiction Spain. Additional executive producers include Wattpad President Aron Levitz, Lindsey Weems Ramey and Bego Robles.
The news comes during Deadline's exclusive interview with Webtoon Productions' Goldberg and international development director Mar Vila Barceló and Maria Contreras, head of scripted production at Amazon MGM Studios Spain, who has been instrumental in producing numerous Spanish-language originals on Prime Video.
In their talk, they touched on the explosion of teen series and films based on web novels and webcomics, a trend largely driven by streamers like Prime Video, which found success with Mercedes Ron. Guilty trilogy. It was based on a series of stories on Wattpad that make people like Ron and Godoy in-demand creative stars.
Godoy's original book “Sigue Mi Voz” has been read 37 million times on the web novel platform Wattpad, which sits alongside webcomics platform Webtoon and Wattpad's production arm Webtoon Productions in the Naver stable.
“Ariana is one of our best writers in Spanish,” Barceló said. “We worked with her on Through series of films for Netflix, and we are currently releasing Follow my voicethis is a story that was very special and very close to her heart. She's one of our biggest contributors and all of her stories have done incredibly well on the platform. She is one of those authors who was able to create a community of fans who followed not only her stories, but also her as an author.”
YA's moment
Goldberg and Barceló discussed how focusing on young creators has finally given an opportunity to a global audience that has traditionally been underserved.
“Fans have been following some of the stories we are adapting now for many years,” Barceló added. “It’s an incredible moment for them to see, for example, Follow my voicewhich recently opened in cinemas in Spain but has also been released in Mexico, Chile and several Latin American territories. It was a wonderful experience for them.”
Amazon MGM Studios' Contreras said: “We've seen how hungry audiences are for content in this space – a response to Guilty or Summer when I became beautiful proved it – and Follow my voice provides the same emotional resonance, but with a completely different type of story that touches on important themes for young audiences.
“It's about reinforcing our commitment to the YA genre and meeting our audience where they're passionate. We believe this film will delight the fans who have already fallen in love with our roster, and it's an important part of how we continue to build and strengthen our position among young audiences around the world.”
Contreras praised Wattpad and similar digital platforms, saying they are “not just sources of content” but “communities with passionate and engaged audiences.” She pointed to Ron's The Guilty novels, adding, “When we saw direct reviews and discussions about Mercedes Ron's novels on Wattpad, we knew we were collaborating with a living fandom and not just adapting a book.”
“It's important to understand that while we're at a peak moment right now, these genres—romance, coming of age, new adult—are cyclical. They never go away; they dormant at times, but they always return because the human experience they explore is timeless.”
“Don't listen to traditional mandates”
Goldberg outlined the process of identifying Wattpadd and Webtoon stories that could be adapted for television or film. “It’s a combination of our perception of the story and also the data and metrics—the alchemy of those two things plus audience location, because that’s how we decide what territory to explore with that piece of content,” he said.
“We also look at the global trends that are happening and what the market wants. With a lot of the things we do in deep development, we often just trust our gut and what we think we can sell rather than just taking direction. Obviously, we still take into account what people are buying at the moment.”
Goldberg raved about Webtoon Productions' business model, calling its library of webcomics and webnovels a “gift” given that commissioning is currently done using IP.
“At other times in my career I've been trying to fight for someone else's intellectual property or trying to sell original ideas, and it's such a gift to work for a company like ours, where not only do we have an incredible library of content that we can distribute and sell, but the content itself is great. It comes from creators all over the world with such unique voices that don't listen to the traditional dictates of Hollywood or CAA or HarperCollins about what works and what doesn't.”
However, selling a brand in Hollywood hasn't been the easiest process, even with the growing buzz around digital IP. “We've had to do a lot of education in the traditional film and television world about what our content is and why it's important, but every day we're getting more calls coming in about our stuff as people see the success of what's happening here around the world,” Goldberg said.
He and Barceló also explained how they were able to bridge the gap between creators, who often fit more neatly into the category of content creators than traditional writers, and the streamers and networks that follow their stories.
“A big part of our role is to protect that source material — the original intellectual property and the essence of what the creators are trying to tell with this story,” Barceló said. “In all the adaptations we've made to date, all of our partners have been very respectful of the creator's ideas. It's been a collaborative effort between us, the creators and the creative teams to create the best adaptations possible.
“It's also very rewarding for the creators themselves because they have the opportunity to be part of a journey that in most cases, I would say, they never expected when they started writing this story.”
When asked how the terms of the deal were negotiated, Goldberg declined to go into detail but said, “We make sure people are compensated properly,” adding, “We always want the best deals for our creators.”
We spoke with Goldberg and Barcelo after the October rebrand Wattpad Webtoon Studios at Webtoon Productions, in a shakeup that saw David Madden become president.
Barcelo, based in Madrid, had joined Webtoon Productions from Cattleya Producciones ITV Studios earlier this year, and former HBO, Lee Daniels Entertainment and HBO exec Goldberg joined as director of film for North America in 2022 and was will take on a global role in 2024. The combined production division of Wattpad and Webtoon. appeared in 2021when South Korean giant Naver committed $100 million for development and production.
“Through My Window 3: Looking at You”
MICHAEL OTS/NETFLIX
Together with Godoy Through my window (Through my window)which is one of Netflix's most-watched non-English-language films of all time, and was followed by two sequels, Webtoon Productions' latest titles include the film Tubi. Away: QB and me which premiered at number one on the free streamer and, according to the producer, brought in the most new viewers for any game on a streaming service to date; And Bad influenceanother highly rated Spanish-language Netflix film.
Upcoming projects include Aside 2: Intercepted for Tubi, animated adaptation Lor Olympus with the Jim Henson Company; Death of a Pop Star with Oscar winner Diablo Cody and producer Mason Novick; And Love advice from the Grand Duke of Hell with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment.
“In the new year, we will continue to do what we've always done, which is bring creators' stories to new fans in new formats,” Goldberg said. “We've had a lot of success with the Wattpad and Webtoon adaptations this year, and we have a lot more in the works that we're excited to announce soon.”
